Wrench



W. A. HUMPHREY.

WRENCH.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 2. 1919.

Patented Dec. 21, 1920.

Q witness atfoznu a UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WRENCH. 7

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 21, 1920.

Application filed September a, 1919. Serial No. 321,023.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM A. HUM- rrrnnr, acitizen of the Unitet States, residing at Sparta, in the county ofMonroe and State of Wisconsin, have invented a new and useful VVrench,of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to wrenches and more particularly to an automaticgripping and adjusting device of this character.

An object of this invention is to provide a wrench having aspring-pressed movable jaw cooperating with a fixed jaw, and thesecomponents being so disposed that pipes, rods or other stock of varioussizes may be automatically gripped and rotated.

Another object of this invention is to provide a wrench of generallyimproved construction, whereby the device will be simple, durable, andinexpensive in construction, as well as convenient, practical,serviceable and eiiicient in its use.

With the above and other objects in view, which will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention resides in the combination andarrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafterdescribed, it being understood that, within the scope of what isclaimed, changes in the precise embodiment of the invention shown can bemade without departing from the spirit of the invention.

The invention has been illustrated in the accompanying drawings, whereinFigure 1 is a side elevation of the improved automatic wrench.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the device, parts appearingin elevation.

Fig. 3 is a plan view.

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 44 of Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawings there is shown a composite handle, comprisingspaced bars or handle members 5, between which is disposed a spacingstrip 6. Screws or other securing devices extend transversely throughthe bars 5 and strip 6 thereby rigidly securing these members to eachother. Laterally curved jaws 7 are formed at one end of the compositehandle by extending the bars 5, and a curvedmovable jaw 8 is pivotallysecured at the outer ends of the jaw 7. Adjacent faces of the movablejaw and the stationary jaws 7 have teeth 9 and 10 formed therein, andthe pivoted end of the curved movable jaw is reduced to define anattaching ear 11 which is pivotally secured between the outer ends ofthe jaw 7 by a screw or other securing device 12. The spacing strip 6terminates adjacent the inner ends of the fixed jaw 7, and this striphas a longr tudinally disposed slot 13 formed therein for the receptionof one end of a leaf spring 14. The opposed terminal of the spring 14 isrecelved in a recess 15 formed in the reduced car 11, and that face ofthe spring 14 which is remote from the movable jaw 8 engages a shoulder16 extending from the car 11. By securing the inner end of the spring 14within the longitudinally disposed slot 13 and with its opposed terminalengaging the shoulder 16 this obviously causes the spring to normallyurge the movable jaw 8 toward the stationary jaws 7 In use, a pipe, rodor other device may be positioned between the movable and stationaryjaws by simply gripping the movable jaw 8 and moving it away from thestationary jaws 7, and when the pipe P has been positioned between thejaws the movable jaw is then released, which permits the spring 14 toautomatically adjust the jaws to the pipe P. Now by moving that end ofthe handle which is remote from the jaws in the direction indicated bythe arrow A the pipe P is automatically gripped and rotated in thisdirection. When the handle has been moved a convenient distance in thisdirection it may be withdrawn or moved in the opposite direction andduring this movement the movable jaw automatically releases the pipe andallows the wrench to be returned to its original position withoutturning the pipe P. Thus t is obvious'that this wrench willautomatically grip and turn a pipe or other stock in the desireddirection by simply oscillating the outer end of the handle member.

Having thus described my invention what is claimed is A wrench includinga composite handle member comprising spaced bars, a spacing stripsecured between the said bars and having a longitudinally disposed slotformed therein, said slot being closed at its inner end and open at itsouter end, spaced fixed jaws extending from the said bars beyond theouter end of the spacing strip, the inter mediate portions of the fixedjaws being laterally curved and the outer end of the fixed jaws havingrelatively short straight portions extending in the same generaldirection as the said handle member, a curved movable jaw having areduced attaching ear formed at the outer end thereof, said ear having anotch formed therein, a shoulder extending from the ear and forming awall of the notch, a pivot element extending through the outer terminalsof the fixed jaws and the said ear thereby pivotally securing themovable jaw between the fixed jaws, the movable jaw being curved andextending inwardly from its pivotal point toward the handle member; anda spring positioned between the spaced jaws and having one-terminalpositioned within the longitudinal slot formed in the spacing strip andits opposed terminal received within the said notch with one faceengaging the said shoulder therebynormally urging the movable jaw towardthe fixed jaws, said spring being held against longitudinal movement bymeans of the closed end of the said slot and the said notch.

In testimony thatI claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM A." HUMPHREY.

Witnesses:

SUE CANNEY, CLARENOE A. JENSEN.

